Leg fitness equipment motion guide

ABSTRACT

A leg fitness equipment includes two cranks respectively connected to both sides of a transmission shaft of a transmission wheel; each crank being inserted to a transmission bracket; each transmission bracket being pivoted to a pull rod; a pedal being provided to each pull rod; a terminal of each pull rod being pivoted to a guide pulley bracket containing a guide pulley or pulley; both guide pulleys or pulley striding over two sidetracks provided to both sides of a base of the fitness equipment; a user stepping on the pair of pedals to alternatively stamp thereon for both pull rods to slide back and forth on the guide track by means of the guide pulley; each pull rod follows the turning of the cranks at one end of the crank to be driven to its ascending and descending positions while reciprocally traveling by following expansion or reducing of the guide track; both pull rods drive the pair of pedals to produce oval turning; a reinforced section defined by a link between both terminals of two sidetracks to prevent the guide track from shaking and deformation due to torsion applied by the pair of pedals; and a user may stamp the pair of pedals in a position either facing or facing away from the transmission wheel of the fitness equipment to select travel motion in a toe-out or toe-in fashion in exercising stable simulation of roller/in-line skating, skiing, treading, walking, or twisting motion for achieving fitness purpose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a motion guide, and more particularly to one adapted to a leg fitness equipment that offers its user treading forward or backward to exercise toe in, toe out, or lateral movement to simulate roller/in-line skating, treading, walking, twisting, and foot racing including two guide tracks respectively and externally extending from both sides of a base of the equipment at a proper spacing, a reinforced section being defined by linking both terminals of those two guide tracks; a pair of pedals being stamped alternatively to push and turn a crank to further drive a transmission bracket; the transmission bracket then drawing two freely swinging pull rods; and two freely swinging guide pulley disposed on two guide pulley brackets respectively disposed on terminals of those two pull rods following the guide provided by those two guide tracks to engage reciprocal travel.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

The present invention is related to an improved structure of the prior art applied by the same applicant of the present invention for patent in the following numbers of applications: Taiwan: 094207180, Taiwan: 094208488, China: 200420012546.0, Korea: 20-2004-0029098, USA: U.S. Ser. No. 10/963,506, and Germany: 2005004979.4. Each of two sliding tracks of the prior art is secured to a base of the fitness equipment with one end of a single linear sliding track while leaving another end suspending in the air for a pulley to travel back and forth on the linear sliding track; and by adjusting toe-in and toe-out between those two sliding tracks to simulate roller/in-line skating, skiing, treading, walking, and twisting motion requirements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide solutions to correct the following problems found with the prior art:

1. Complicated structure of technical configuration resulting in higher production cost;

2. Consuming larger space required for operation and preventing easy storage; and

3. Inconvenient use since adjustment needed for each exchange between exercise modes.

The present invention provides the following solutions:

1. The present invention related to a unit of leg fitness equipment is essentially comprised of two guide tracks respectively and externally extending from both sides of a base of the equipment at a proper spacing in the same direction, both terminals of those two guide track are linked to become V-shaped or a triangle, or parallel guide tracks; a pair of pedals being alternatively stamped to push a crank, the crank then driving a transmission bracket to draw two pull rods to swing freely; and two guide pulleys each from a guide pulley bracket mounted to the terminal of each pull rod reciprocally traveling along both guide tracks. The linkage between both terminals of those two guide tracks disposed on both sides in V-shaped, triangle or parallel functions to reinforce the strength of both guide tracks so to prevent from deformation due to shaking or torsion while a user is treading the pair of pedals. Meanwhile, according to the treading direction is selected by the use either facing or turning back on the leg fitness equipment, both guide tracks in V-shaped, triangle, or parallel allow the treading in toe-out or toe-in exercise mode to simulate roller/in-line skating, skiing, treading, walking, twisting, or foot racing motion.

2. In the present invention, one end of each pull rod is pivoted to the transmission bracket; each transmission bracket is pivoted to a crank on one side of a transmission wheel with a sleeve; and another end of each pull road the guide pulley bracket is pivoted to the terminal of the pull rod by means of an axial. Accordingly, both ends of each pull rod are capable of engaging in free off-center swinging through the pivot of the transmission bracket and the axial of the guide pulley bracket to allow both pull rods to reciprocally travel in off-center swinging fashion by following the angles of those two guide tracks disposed in V-shaped, triangle, or parallel with each other.

3. When the user stamps on the pair of pedals of the present invention in a position facing away from the transmission wheel, the V-shaped, the triangle or the parallel guide tracks becomes in an inverse V-shaped, triangle, or parallel guide tracks to allow both pull rods to engage in reciprocal toe-in, toe-out or parallel traveling motion for the user to achieve fitness effects by simulating roller/in-line skating, skiing, treading, walking, twisting, and foot racing.

4. The V-shaped, triangle, or parallel tracks in the present invention may be made into a channel and a pulley is axially provided to the guide pulley bracket by compromising the channel for the pulley to be confined in the channel to engage in limited travel back and forth.

5. Two additional guide tracks may be provided to the inner side or the outer side of the V-shaped, triangle, or parallel guide tracks to allow automatic turning direction during the traveling back and forth for achieving the exercise purpose of walking and foot racing according to the guidance provided by the guide pulley or pulley applied in the pivot of the transmission bracket and the guide pulley on each of those two parallel guide tracks.

6. When the present invention is placed on a flat and smooth floor, both pull rods may be forthwith made to connect both sleeves adapted to their respectively transmission crank with both pull rods being connected into a toe-in, toe-out or parallel fashion and both pulleys being respectively fixed to terminals of both pull rods directly contact the floor; the user may stamp on the pair of pedals to directly apply those two pulleys to slide forth and back on the floor while pushing to turn the crank and being subject to the resistance adjustment by a resistance control mechanism to achieve the same fitness results of simulating roller/in-line skating, skiing, ice skating, treading, twisting, walking, and foot racing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an operating status of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bird's view of an operating status of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing coordination between guide tracks and guide pulleys of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an operating status of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing another operating status of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7-A is a sectional view showing a combination of pulleys and channels in the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a layout showing both guide tracks in the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a layout showing both guide tracks in a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a layout showing both guide tracks in a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a layout showing an assembly of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention without tracks.

FIG. 14 is a layout showing an assembly of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention without tracks.

FIG. 15 is a layout showing an assembly of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention without tracks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1˜6, a fitness equipment 1 of the present invention includes a transmission wheel 11 and a resistance control mechanism 2 (related to prior art, thus not elaborated herein) to control size of resistance against the transmission wheel 11 so to produce effects of adjusting and controlling the motion. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the present invention is essentially comprised of two cranks 112 are respectively and externally connected to both sides of a transmission shaft 111 of the transmission wheel 11. Each crank is inserted into a sleeve 1130 disposed at the front end of a transmission bracket 113; each transmission bracket 113 is connected to one end of a pull rod 114 with a pivot 1131; and each pull rod 114 is provided with a pedal 1141. Also referring to FIG. 4, the other end of each pull rod 114 is pivoted to a guide pulley bracket 115 with an axial shaft 1142, and a guide pulley 1151 is disposed in the guide pulley bracket 115. Both guide pulleys 1151 stride over a V-shaped guide track 3 fixed to a base 10 of the fitness equipment. Both terminals from two sidetracks 31 of the V-shaped guide track 3 are connected to each other to define a reinforced section 32. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, a user steps both feet respectively on the pair of the pedals 1141 to alternatively stamp on them for both pull rods to slide back and forth on the sidetracks 31 through both guide pulleys 1151. Each transmission bracket 113 disposed at one end of the pull rod 114 connected to the crank 112 turns around the crank 112 by means of cycling the sleeve 1130 to engage longitudinal oscillation thus to drive the pull rod 114 up and down; meanwhile, with the pivot 1131 connected to the transmission bracket 113 and another end pivoted to a guide pulley bracket 115 by means of the axial shaft 1142, both pull rods execute free swinging laterally to reciprocally travel following the cycle of expansion and reduction provided by two sidetracks 31. Accordingly, both pull rods 114 create free turning in direction on both sidetracks 31 on both sides of the V-shaped guide track 3 by applying both axial shafts 1142 on guide pulley brackets 115 and both pivots 1131 on the transmission brackets 113 to drive the pair of pedals 1141 to engage in oval turning for the user to reciprocally travel in a toe-in or toe-out fashion. Meanwhile, the reinforced section 32 defined by the link between both terminals of two sidetracks 31 helps prevent both sidetracks 31 from shaking and deformation due to torsion applied by the pair of pedals 1141 so to provide the user stability in simulating motions of roller/in-line skating, skiing, treading, and walking for achieving the purpose of staying fitness.

Now referring to FIG. 5, both sidetracks 31 of the guide track 3 gradually to reduce their spacing from the base 10 of the fitness equipment 1 for their terminals to meet in the link of the reinforced section 32 to form a V-shaped track. The user steps on the pair of pedals 1131 in a position facing the transmission wheel 11 travels in a toe-out fashion to simulate roller/in-line skating, skiing, or ice-skating motion.

On the contrary, when the user steps on the pair of pedals 1131 in a position facing away from the transmission wheel 11 travels in a toe-in fashion to simulate treading or twisting motion as guided by the inverse V-shaped guide track 3 as illustrated in FIG. 6 without adjustment or replacing any part of the fitness equipment 1.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 7-A, a channel 311′ is provided to each sidetrack 31′ and a pulley 1151′ is adapted to the channel 311′ in relation to the guide pulley 1151 for the pulley 1151′ to engage in limited rolling within the channel 311′.

A triangle guide track 3′ is formed by two sidetracks 31′ respectively extending from the mid of the base 10 and the reinforced section 32 to follow the similar routes of those sidetracks 31 for both guide pulleys 1151 or the pulleys 1151′ to execute traveling back and forth in a toe-in or toe-out fashion for the user to simulate roller/in-line skating, skiing, ice skating or twisting motion depending on whether the user stepping on the pair of pedals 1141 faces or faces away from the transmission wheel 11.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, two additional sections of sidetracks 31″ parallel with each other are provided to the inner sides of the sidetracks 31, 31′ as illustrated in FIG. 10 or to the outer sides of the sidetracks 31, 31′ as illustrated in FIG. 11 of the V-shaped guide track 3 or the triangle guide track 3′ as illustrated in FIG. 12 to allow automatic turning the direction during traveling back and forth as guided by both pivots 1131 from transmission brackets 113 and both guide pulley brackets 115 on those two sidetracks 31″ for the user to achieve walking or foot racing effects.

Now referring to FIGS. 13˜15, when the fitness equipment 1 is placed on a flat and smooth floor, both pull rods 114 are directly connected to their respectively sleeves 1130 of both transmission cranks 112 in a toe-out fashion as illustrated in FIG. 13, a tow-in fashion as illustrated in FIG. 14, or in parallel with each other as illustrated in FIG. 15. With both pulleys 1151″ fixed to terminals of both pull rods 114 directly contacting the floor, the user stepping on the pair of pedals 1141 to slide back and forth on the floor by applying both pulleys 1151″ while pushing both cranks 112 to revolve and being subject to resistance adjustment by the resistance control mechanism 2 (related to the prior art and will not be elaborated herein) to achieve the similar exercise results by simulating roller/in-line skating, skiing, ice skating, treading, twisting, walking, or foot racing. 

1. A leg fitness equipment motion guide includes a transmission wheel; a resistance control mechanism, a pair of pedals to drive the transmission wheel to turn around with the resistance control mechanism to control the size of resistance of the active transmission wheel; two pull rods respectively pivoted to a transmission bracket, a sleeve being disposed to the front end of the transmission bracket to receive insertion of a transmission shaft of a crank connected to the transmission wheel, and another end of each pull rod being pivoted to a guide pulley bracket containing a pulley, and the pedal being provided to each pull rod; a guide track comprised of two sidetracks respectively extending at a proper spacing and externally from a base of the fitness equipment with their terminals connected into a reinforced section to form a V-shaped guide track, a triangle guide track, or a parallel guide tracks for both guide pulleys of their respective guide pulley brackets; both pull rods producing free turning direction on the V-shaped guide track, the triangle guide track or both parallel side tracks of the guide track by applying both axial shafts on two guide pulley brackets and both pivots on two transmission brackets; both pull rods driving the pair of pedals to engage in oval turning; relatively a user of the fitness equipment alternatively stepping on the pair of pedals to execute reciprocal traveling in toe-in or toe-out fashion; the reinforced section defined by linking both terminals of two sidetracks on both side of the guide track preventing the guide track from shaking and deformation due to torsion applied by the pair of pedals to provide the user stable simulation of roller/in-line skating, skiing, treading, walking, and twisting to achieve fitness purpose.
 2. The leg fitness equipment motion guide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission wheel drives the crank; each sleeve inserted to the transmission shaft drives the transmission bracket to oscillate up and down; the transmission bracket is pivoted to the front end of the pull rod by means of a pivot for the pull rod to engage in lateral swinging; another end of each pull rod is pivoted to a guide pulley bracket by means of an axial shaft; and the guide pulley of the guide pulley bracket automatically turns direction at the angle of the guide track while drawing the pull rod to swing.
 3. The leg fitness equipment motion guide as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user steps on the pair of pedals to engage in toe-out or toe-in traveling on the V-shaped or the triangle guide rail depending on whether the user if facing or facing away from the transmission wheel of the fitness equipment.
 4. The leg fitness equipment motion guide as claimed in claim 1, wherein two additional sections of tracks parallel with each other are disposed to the inner or outer sides of the sidetracks of the V-shape or the triangle guide track.
 5. The leg fitness equipment motion guide as claimed in claim 1, wherein a channel is provided on the guide track, and a pulley is axially disposed to the guide pulley bracket for both pulleys to engage in limited traveling back and forth in the channel.
 6. A leg fitness equipment motion guide includes a transmission wheel and a resistance control mechanism; a pair of pedals drive the transmission wheel to turn around; the resistance control mechanism controls the size of resistance to turn around the transmission wheel; one end of each of two pull rods directly connects to a sleeve disposed to a crank; the crank is inserted into a transmission shaft of the transmission wheel; a guide pulley bracket is fixed to another end of each pull rod, a pedal is disposed to each pull rod; and the pulley direct contacts a floor; both rods are pushed to drive the crank to engage in sliding back and forth for the user to simulate roller/in-line skating, skiing, treading, walking, or twisting motion.
 7. The leg fitness equipment motion guide as claimed in claim 6, wherein both pull rods and their respective sleeves are connected in a toe-out or a toe-in-fashion. 